Megaworld Corp. said it is spending P1.2 billion to build the Mactan World Museum in its 30-hectare The Mactan Newtown in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.
The company said the museum, which will open within the next three years, will be “an ode to the island’s cultural pride and historical significance.”
The museum will rise along Newtown Boulevard just in front of Megaworld’s 8 Newtown Boulevard residential condominium, the realtor said.
It will feature an extensive collection of historic pieces curated by Dannie Alvarez, president of Alliance of Greater Manila Museums Inc. and former head of Committee on Museums of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
The collection highlights the friendship and rich cultural exchange between the Philippines and Spain during the past centuries, the company said.
“The museum will lend a visual retelling of the travel and arrival of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew in Mactan, his defeat against fearless tribal leader Lapu-Lapu, and the Hispanic heritage of the Manila Galleon trade,” Megaworld added.
The museum will feature five main exhibit galleries on the second-floor showcasing collections, artifacts, replica mementos and interactive virtual displays related to various influences and historical events between the Philippines and Spain.
According to Megaworld, the subjects include Spain’s quest for spices, the Kingdom of Sugbu, Magellan’s early expeditions and the Battle of Mactan, among others.
The museum will also have two performance halls — a Flamenco Studio and a Multimedia Room — which can be combined into one main hall and accommodate about 270 people.
“Here, visitors can enjoy watching traditional Spanish dance performances and short play productions. An immersive hall also provides guests with an audio-visual experience of historical events during the Spanish regime in the country,” Megaworld said.
Three life size monuments will also be featured around the structure – statues of Lapu-Lapu and King Philip II will be both situated along the path leading to the museum’s entrance.
“Beside the main fountain is the Spanish king atop his horse frozen mid-gallop while Lapu-Lapu’s statue, on the other side of the fountain, will be captured with his arms raised as he copies the wings of the Philippine Eagle perched on his arm,” Megaworld said.
